Comments on the Oceanrelated Satellite Needs Identified in the GCOS Implementation Plan

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Comments on the Ocean-related Satellite Needs
Identified in the GCOS Implementation Plan

• Stan Wilson
• Senior Scientist, NOAA/NESDIS
• NOAA Climate Observation Program
• 4th Annual System Review
• 10-12 May 2006

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Ocean-related satellite actions from the
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE GLOBAL OBSERVING
SYSTEM FOR CLIMATE IN SUPPORT OF THE UNFCCC
(October 2004)

• Action O12 Sea surface height (SSH)
• Action A11 Surface vector winds (SVW)
• Action O18 Ocean color
• Action O9 Sea surface temperature (SST)
• Action O23 Sea ice
• Action O16 Sea surface salinity (SSS)

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Where can NOAA make a difference?

• Where can we in NOAA make a difference?
  Use that as a basis to
  prioritize and focus
• For the shorter term, we have been and will
  continue to be dependent on NASAs remarkable
  capabilities
• For the longer term, we need to consider NOPESS
• CMIS for SVW SST
• VIIRS for Ocean color SST
• Altimeter option for SSH
• Given the Nunn/McCurdy exercise underway, we
  wont know its impact on NPOESS until completion
  on June 5
• FY08 budget process is considering two options
• No growth
• 5 cut

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NASA Research NOAA Operations 1

• Research operations (RO) transitioning has
  been identified as a national issue
• Congressional language in the NOAA FY05 budget
• Provide NOAA the capability to transition NASA
  remote sensed ocean measurements into operational
  products for the user community
• Observations explicitly mentioned ocean winds
  from scatterometers,sea levelfrom altimeters,
  andocean color
• 4M RO earmark was provided in FY05 and again in
  FY06 this is the first NOAA funding
  specifically directed at helping effect the
  transition of oceanic capabilities from NASA

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NASA Research NOAA Operations 2

• Congressional language in the FY06 NASA budget
  directs the establishment of a Joint Working
  Group (JWG)
• Chet Koblinsky is NOAA lead (with Louis
  Uccellini, Tom Karl Stan Wilson)
• Jack Kaye is NASA lead
• This is a priority for the NOAA Administrator
• The JWG will identify an initial set of a
  half-dozen capabilities for transitioning, for
  which initial implementation plans are to be
  developed this year
• Progress will ultimately depend on success in the
  budget process the first opportunity being FY09
  

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Focus and Priorities

• Capabilities includes the full range of
  activities space hardware, calibration
  validation, communications, ground data system
  archival, timely data access, assimilation of
  data into models, and the generation of
  associated analyses and forecasts
• While not sufficient, space hardware is a
  necessary element of the overall capability which
  NOAA should implement
• This presentation specifically focuses on those
  aspects for which NOAA needs to take timely
  action thus serving as a basis for prioritizing

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Action O12 Sea surface height (SSH) Ensure
continuous coverage from one high-precision
altimeter and two lower-precision but
higher-resolution altimeters.

• NASA CNES will implement OSTM/Jason-2 (2008
  launch), with NOAA EUMETSAT doing ground
  operations
• If the Jason series is to be extended, NOAA
  EUMETSAT must take the lead for a Jason-3
• Current possibilities for complementary
  altimeters include ESA/Sentinel-3, CNES/AltiKa,
  NOPESS

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Sea Surface Height
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2-f MR 66-deg, 10-day, 315-km
OSTM (Jason-2)
TOPEX-Poseidon
JASON
Jason
Jason-3
AltiKa on OceanSat-3
98-deg, 35-day, 80-km

ERS-2
GMES Sentinel 3
ENVISAT
?
108-deg, 17-day, 160-km
98-deg, 17-day, 130-km
NPOESS C-3
GEOSAT Follow-on
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval
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Planning for a Jason-3

• NOAA and EUMETSAT have agreed to pursue a Jason-3
• Immediate objective is to develop a conceptual
  approach for the mission to
• Be presented to EUMETSAT Council this fall for
  approval
• Support FY09 NOAA budget initiative
• Applications and Implementation Working Groups
  are being established
• Ants Leetmaa will be NOAA co-chair of AWG (with
  Laury Miller)
• David Anderson will be involved on the EUMETSAT
  side
• The Applications Working Group will work with its
  companion NASA Sea Surface Topography Science
  Team

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Jason-3 Applications Working Groupto address
questions such as

• To what extent are there orbital options lower
  altitude and higher inclination able to resolve
  major tidal components?
• Together with POD and repeat ground tracks, to
  what extent could such an orbit extend the
  coverage initiated by TOPEX/Poseidon without
  compromising the capability to produce
  climate-quality data records?
• To what extent are additional altimeters what
  type and in which orbit needed to meet
  operational needs?
• If a wide-swath altimeter were to be offered for
  piggyback flight on Jason-3, to what extent could
  it also meet the needs for observing mesoscale
  eddies, coastal variability, and rivers lakes?

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Jason-3 Implementation Working Groupto address
questions such as

• Compare and contrast the implementation
  approaches for a clone of Jason-2 in its same
  orbit versus one in a lower altitude and higher
  inclination orbit?
• If a wide-swath altimeter were considered as a
  piggyback instrument,
• What additional spacecraft capabilities would be
  needed to facilitate a 100 duty cycle?
• To what extent would it represent an added risk
  and/or delay to Jason-3?
• Identify possibilities for sharing of
  responsibilities in implementation.
• Help establish ROM mission costs.

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Action A11 Surface vector winds (SVW) Ensure
continuous operation of AM and PM satellite
scatterometer or equivalent observations.

• NWS operational use of QuikScat SVW NCEP began
  four years ago WFOs began within past year
• ASCAT will launch on METOP later this year, but
  will have only 60 of QuikSCAT swath
• While evaluation of WindSat passive polarimetry
  is not yet complete, neither passive polarimetry
  (NPOESS/ CMIS) nor scatterometry (QuikSCAT) will
  meet all needs
• Further improvements required to resolve the
  wind vs. rain ambiguity will be addressed in a
  workshop at NHC early next month
• NASA has initiated a study of advanced concepts
  for scatterometry

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Surface Vector Winds
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895 km
1700 km
?
WINDSAT
CMIS/NPOESS-C3
500 km
2 x 550 km with 768 km gap
AMI/ERS-2
ASCAT/METOP 3 satellites
SeaWINDS/ADEOS-II
1600 km
Seawinds/QuikSCAT
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval
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Planning for Surface Vector Winds

• NOAA is establishing an Applications Working
  Group with Bob Atlas as chair (with Paul Chang)
  to work with its companion NASA SVW Science Team
• Resolution of the wind vs. rain ambiguity will
  most likely require a two-channel scatterometer
  with a companion microwave radiometer
• We are working to have NOAA needs factored into
  the NASA-funded study of advanced concepts for
  scatterometry
• If this were done, NOAA could be positioned to
  define a budget initiative appropriate for SVW

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Action O18 Ocean color Implement plans for a
sustained and continuous deployment of ocean
color satellite sensors together with research
and analysis.

• Space observing capabilities for ocean color are
  in place
• NASA has essentially been providing sole U.S.
  support for satellite ocean color (SeaWiFS
  MODIS)
• NOAA just initiated support for research access
  to SeaWiFS global GAC and U.S. LAC data
• NPOESS/VIIRS is to serve as the nations
  continuing source of ocean color observations
• But considering climate-quality data records,
  NOAA lacks support for
• In-situ calibration capability (included in FY09
  initiative with NIST)
• Capability for algorithm refinement, routine
  reprocessing, and science team (include in
  initiative for Scientific Data Stewardship)

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Ocean Color
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FY-3A, B,.. (VIRR/MODI)
OCM/OCEANSAT-2
OCM/OCEANSAT
MERIS/ENVISAT
MODIS/Terra
SGLI/GCOM
MODIS/AQUA
 
SeaWiFS/SeaStar
VIIRS/NPP
?
VIIRS/NPOESS-C3
 
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval
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Action O9 Sea surface temperature (SST)
Ensure a continuous mix of polar orbiting and
geostationary IR measurements combined with
passive microwave coverage.

• Space observing capabilities for SST are in place
• GHRSST and NOPP provide a direction for
  SST-related efforts internationally and
  nationally
• Work is underway to demonstrate improved SST
  based on combining IR and microwave observations
• But considering climate-quality data records,
  NOAA lacks support for a capability for algorithm
  refinement, routine reprocessing, and science
  team (include in initiative for Scientific Data
  Stewardship)
• Some improved SST coordination within NOAA might
  be helpful (OAR/ESRL NESDIS/NCDC, NODC, ORA
  JCSDA)

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Action O23 Sea ice Ensure sustained satellite
(microwave, SAR, visible and IR) operations.

• A variety of space observing capabilities for sea
  ice are in place
• Future visible, IR microwave radiometry to come
  from VIIRS CMIS on NPOESS
• Data access timeliness and cost is an issue
  for SAR observations (Radarsat and ENVISAT)
• Ice thickness is a challenge
• The same comment can be made regarding
  climate-quality data records

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Action O16 Sea surface salinity (SSS)
Research programs to demonstrate feasibility of
utilizing satellite data to help resolve global
fields of SSS.

• ESA SMOS in 2007 and NASA/CONAE Aquarius in 2009
  represent opportunities to demonstrate the
  utility of satellite determination of SSS

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SUMMARYWhere can NOAA make a difference?

• Pursue joint Jason-3 initiative with EUMETSAT in
  NOAA FY09 budget
• Harmonize NASA/NOAA planning for an improved
  capability to observe SVW
• Include support for in-situ calibration
  capability for Ocean Color in NOAA/NIST
  initiative in FY09
• Include support for oceanic parameters in NOAA
  initiative for Scientific Data Stewardship

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SUMMARYWhere can NOAA make a difference?

• Pursue joint Jason-3 initiative with EUMETSAT in
  NOAA FY09 budget
• Harmonize NASA/NOAA planning for an improved
  capability to observe SVW
• Include support for in-situ calibration
  capability for Ocean Color in NOAA/NIST
  initiative in FY09
• Include support for oceanic parameters in NOAA
  initiative for Scientific Data Stewardship
• But these will not happen because of NESDIS
  support must come from the NOAA Goal Teams and
  Line Office Heads

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A Sustained, Systematic Global Ocean Observing,
Assimilation, Analysis Forecasting Capability
KEY SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS

• A state variable
• Surface pressure field Extend the Jason series
  of altimetry as a complement to Argo
• A boundary condition
• Surface stress field Use what exists (QuikSCAT,
  WindSat, CMIS on NPOESS, ASCAT on METOP) and
  pursue advanced scatterometry with NASA
• A non-physical variable
• Near-surface chlorophyll Effect the collection
  of scientific-quality data records linking
  SeaWiFS, MODIS, and VIIRS on NPP/NPOESS

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Backups
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Sea Surface Temperature
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FY-3A, B,.. (VIRR/MODI)
FY-1D
FY-1C
CBERS-2B
AVHRR/NOAA am orbit
AVHRR/EPS(Metop) am orbit
AVHRR/NOAA pm orbit
VIIRS/NPOESS C1
TRMM
WINDSAT
ATSR/ERS-2
AATSR/ENVISAT
VIIRS/NPP
MODIS/EOS-Terra
ESA GMES S-3
MOS/IRS-P3
ADEOS-2
MODIS/EOS-Aqua
HY-1
HY-2
Geostationary sats GOES, MSG important but not
shown
MSMR/IRS-P4
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval
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Sea Ice (Concentration, Extent, Drift, Thickness)
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ESA GMES S-1
ASAR/Envisat C-band
AMI/ERS C-band
Drift
RADARSAT-2 C-band
RADARSAT-1 C-band
RADARSAT-3
ALOS L-band
COSMO-SKYMED X band
JERS-1 L band
ESA GMES S-3
CRYOSAT
ICESAT
Thickness
MODIS AMSR-E/EOS-Aqua
SMOS
WindSat
HY-1
GODAE
OLS SSMI/DMSPAVHRR AMSU/NOAA
VIIRS/NPP
MODIS/EOS-Terra
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval
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Geoid and Salinity Missions
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Gravity/Geoid missions (for absolute circulation)
Oersted
SAC-C
Swarm
CHAMP
GRACE
GOCE
Salinity
SMOS
AQUARIUS
In orbit
Approved
Planned/Pendng Approval